Posted 6/18/21
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:17-8
Happy Friday, all! Another week blows by like a leaf off my withering tomato plant…. Is it just me, or does time speed up the older we get? I know I have asked that in my intro before, but I am not getting much of a refutation, so I may consider it as reality. 🙂
It has been a productive week this week. Our support group was small but very nice! Thank you for coming…you know who you are. 😉 I was blessed to be able to talk to various forms of news media this week three times about the new drug Aducanumab and about my little run tomorrow. I have a couple more potentially for this weekend during and after the event. I am NOT one who likes attention, so this has been a somewhat uncomfortable event to lead up to, but I really wanted to accomplish three things that I hope I have done:
- Raise awareness
- Raise money
- Honor my mom’s pre-“legacy” legacy
With this in mind, and as a bit of a “program” for those following the run from home, here are some things you need to know about me Runnin’ Til I’m Purple tomorrow:
- THIS PAGE has interactive and printable maps so you can see approximately where I am. Here is a copy:
- I am starting from the Bolivar Trailhead at the intersection of the trail and Highway 32. There is a pretty bridge there and a large parking area. I will get there around 5:15-5:30am to get started because it looks like wisdom to get as much trail trekked as possible before about noon.
- The weather forecast is 92 and sunny in Springfield and Bolivar. The chances of rain have declined again, which brings me joy.
- The trail is an old railroad track. A third of the trail is paved with good quality asphalt (roughly 8 miles from Springfield to Willard, and 3 miles inside Bolivar city limits, although the 2+ mile detour to avoid crossing Highway 13 is just a regular city street.); The remainder of the trail is compacted crushed pea gravel (18+ miles from Willard to Bolivar). This detour accounts for the disparity between some accounts that the trail is 35 miles and others say 37+.
- There are minimal hills. There are trees canopied on each side of the trail for probably 3/4 of it. There are long stretches here and there otherwise, but it is, for the most part, shady. This is great for fighting the sun, but not great if you are looking for breezes. Nevertheless, it is a very nice trail for even a beginner like me to attempt parts of.
- I will be posting periodically on Facebook live. My Facebook account is an uninspiringly named https://www.facebook.com/mark.applegate/ I will have my phone on me…417-955-2513…feel free to call or text. The earlier in the run, the more likely I will have a charge. I need to keep some charge to track things, so I will undoubtedly lug my battery charging pack at some point too. There is a chance this will cause my shorts to go Rated PG-13 on me, so viewer discretion is advised.
- If I leave at 5:30, I typically run too fast for the first hour or two (too fast for me…about 12:30-13:30 miles) then settle in at around a 15 minute mile, so by noon I should be well over twenty miles in. If I am at, say, mile 15 at noon, I will be sad. 6.5 hours at 4 miles an hour should accomplish 26 miles, leaving about 2-3 hours to go. Therefore I should get to the Springfield trailhead in the early afternoon. The last hour or two I expect to need walking breaks more than normal due to the heat, so time is flexible by that point…I will post on Facebook every step of the way…
- I will be wearing a 3 liter hydration backpack. It is heavy, but its water is worth the effort. I will also have a 2 liter backpack available as an alternate.
- I will be eating between 100-200 calories per hour. I eat anything from Stroopwafels to baby food to squeeze container applesauce. I drink ice water, an occasional sports drink to maintain electrolytes, and pickle juice. I will also eat a banana here and there and probably a bag of baked Cheetos. I will eat or drink nothing different than things I have already tested my tolerance of in practice runs.
- I will stop to stretch at the 16 bridges. That seems to keep my legs happy and doesn’t slow me down much. It is psychological for me too…all I have to do is run to the next bridge…
- I have my beautiful bride meeting me several times with replacement water, an occasional costume change, and moral support. I will likely meet her at U Highway in Bolivar, Wishart, Walnut Grove, the boonies between Walnut Grove and Willard, and at the end.
- I will be listening to an audiobook the whole way. I am currently listening to Ready Player One and will probably graduate to Ready Player Two when I am done, or I may switch to a biography of either Dr. J or William Tecumseh Sherman
- I still weigh 240. 200 would have been nice, but it sure beats last year’s 360. 😉
- I am not allergic to bees, but I am allergic to pain, so expect me to run like my hair is on fire should I be attacked again. So I am afraid of bees and dolphins…don’t judge me.
- I will be running the majority by myself although a few friends may join in. I do this to symbolize the isolation those with the disease feel, especially in a Covid-19 Shawshanked lockdown. I will welcome fellow runners that join symbolizing our need for a care team and to not go it alone. Everyone in a care team matters, from the ones who do a bunch to the ones who do only a small thing or two. It all has to get done and it takes a team. 🙂
- We are over $5650 in fundraising now. I will keep the fundraiser open through the end of June and will close it by July 1st. It would be peach if more came in, but I am humbled and blessed beyond measure how generous you have already been! Thank you very, very, very, very much!!!!
- Am I nervous? Yup. I am not super used to running in the heat. The distance doesn’t scare me anymore, but the heat isn’t ideal. I will be careful and will quit if it looks like I am in danger…but I won’t be. Worst case I will take forever. 🙂
- Am I an attention hog? By nature, not at all. By necessity lately, yes. I tend to be better at giving kudos than receiving them. But in this case I feel like whatever I can do to bring awareness, the better. We are moving in the right direction. New treatments are approved and being approved. Clinical trials are resuming. I can see the light at the end of the dementia tunnel…so we can’t stop now. To God, not me, be the glory.
- Death Valley, CA, according to the KY3 weather app, will be 124 for a high today and 94 for a low. It could always be worse. 🙂
- Having to pre-grieve the loss of someone sitting right next to you, then wish the Lord would take them Home, then feeling guilty because you wished it is also worse than running this trail.
- Thank you for your concern, your encouragement, your donation, and your commitment to keep fighting to #EndALZ
No update on mom. We still are restricted from entering the facility until a fixed amount of time passes since the most recent employee Covid positive test. When you keep doing the same thing over and over and over and over, why should you expect a different result? We need a cure. 🙁
Have a great weekend, friends. 🙂 Hop on Facebook here and there tomorrow. 🙂 I will try to update it and do lives as often as possible. 🙂